Contract UX Researcher

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Contract UX Researcher

Company: Clay

Location: United States

Job Type: CONTRACTOR

Category: User Experience (UX) / Product Research

Date Posted: October 10, 2025

Experience Level: Mid-Level (3+ years)

Remote Status: Fully Remote

🚀 Role Summary

• This contract role focuses on conducting in-depth user research to inform the design and strategy of digital products for a global design agency.

• The UX Researcher will be responsible for planning, executing, and synthesizing qualitative and quantitative research to uncover user needs, pain points, and behaviors.

• Collaboration with cross-functional teams, including designers, strategists, and client stakeholders, is a key aspect of this role.

• The position requires a strong ability to translate research findings into actionable insights that drive product vision and successful outcomes.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the raw job description focuses on UX Research, this role intersects with GTM (Go-to-Market) by ensuring that product development is user-centric, which directly impacts product adoption, market fit, and ultimately, revenue generation. The insights gathered by the UX Researcher will inform product strategy and feature prioritization, crucial elements for a successful GTM approach.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Identify and define user research needs for various digital product design projects, aligning with client objectives and business goals.

• Develop comprehensive research plans, including methodologies, timelines, and deliverables, in collaboration with internal teams and external stakeholders.

• Execute a diverse range of qualitative and quantitative UX research methods such as stakeholder interviews, in-depth user interviews, usability testing (moderated and unmoderated), persona development, customer journey mapping (CJM), and card sorting exercises.

• Design detailed interview scripts, usability test protocols, and research questionnaires to gather relevant and actionable data.

• Manage the end-to-end process of user recruitment, including developing screeners and coordinating logistics for interviews, usability studies, and other research activities.

• Conduct research sessions effectively, whether remotely or in person, ensuring a positive participant experience and robust data collection.

• Analyze and synthesize complex qualitative and quantitative data sets to identify key themes, patterns, user pain points, attitudes, and behaviors.

• Facilitate discussions to resolve areas of misalignment among stakeholders and help solidify product vision and strategic direction.

• Generate clear, concise, and actionable insights that directly support design teams throughout the entire project lifecycle, from ideation to iteration.

• Present research findings, insights, and strategic recommendations to external clients and internal stakeholders in a compelling, clear, and engaging manner, fostering a shared understanding of user needs.

📝 Enhancement Note: The core responsibilities emphasize a proactive and strategic approach to user research. This includes not just executing research but also identifying when and why research is needed, and translating findings into direct impact on product strategy and design. This requires a strong understanding of how research informs business objectives and contributes to successful product launches and market penetration.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is mandated, a Bachelor's or Master's degree in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Psychology, Sociology, Anthropology, Design, or a related field is often beneficial for understanding research methodologies and human behavior.

Experience: Minimum of 3 years of hands-on experience conducting UX research within digital product design environments, preferably within a design agency or for global clients.

Required Skills:

• Proficient in a wide array of qualitative UX research methodologies, including user interviews, contextual inquiries, usability testing, and ethnographic research.

• Skilled in quantitative research methods such as surveys, A/B testing analysis, analytics review, and card sorting.

• Demonstrated ability to develop comprehensive research plans and protocols tailored to specific project goals.

• Strong analytical skills for synthesizing qualitative and quantitative data into actionable insights and strategic recommendations.

• Excellent communication, presentation, and storytelling skills, with the ability to articulate complex findings to diverse audiences, including non-researchers and executive stakeholders.

• Proven experience collaborating effectively with cross-functional teams, including UX/UI designers, product managers, engineers, and strategists.

• Experience in managing user recruitment processes, including developing screeners and coordinating logistics.

• A strong understanding of UX design principles, product strategy, and the product development lifecycle.

• Ability to work independently as a self-starter, manage multiple projects concurrently, and meet deadlines in a fast-paced, creative environment.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience working within a global design agency or with international clientele.

• Familiarity with design thinking methodologies and agile development processes.

• Experience with remote research tools and platforms.

• Knowledge of competitor analysis and market research integration into UX strategy.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "global clients," "design agencies," and "fast-paced, creative environment" suggests that candidates should highlight experience with diverse user bases, project management in dynamic settings, and the ability to adapt research approaches to varied client needs and timelines. The "self-starter" and "manage research independently" points indicate a need for strong project ownership and autonomy.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• A curated portfolio showcasing a range of UX research projects, demonstrating expertise across different methodologies (qualitative and quantitative).

• Case studies that clearly articulate the research problem, the methods used, the insights derived, and the impact on product design and business outcomes.

• Evidence of ability to translate research findings into actionable recommendations and influence design decisions.

• Examples of deliverables such as research plans, interview scripts, usability test reports, personas, and journey maps.

Process Documentation:

• Examples of well-documented research processes, including planning, execution, analysis, and reporting phases.

• Showcasing how research is integrated into the broader product development lifecycle and design thinking framework.

• Evidence of systematic approaches to user recruitment, data synthesis, and insight generation.

• Demonstrating the ability to create clear and concise research reports and presentations for diverse stakeholders.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a Contract UX Researcher role, the portfolio is critical. It needs to go beyond just listing projects; it must tell a story of how research drove tangible improvements or strategic shifts. Candidates should be prepared to walk through their process, explain their rationale for choosing specific methodologies, and quantify the impact of their work whenever possible, even if it's through qualitative assessments of design improvements or user satisfaction.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: As this is a contract role and specific project scope can vary, compensation is typically negotiated based on experience, project duration, and specific client requirements. Based on industry benchmarks for Contract UX Researchers with 3+ years of experience in the US, a competitive hourly rate would likely range from $50 to $90 USD per hour, depending on the complexity of the project and the candidate's demonstrated expertise.

Benefits:

• Contract Flexibility: Opportunity to work on diverse projects with leading brands, offering variety and exposure to different industries and challenges.

• Remote Work: Fully remote position, allowing for work-life balance and the flexibility to work from anywhere within US time zones.

• Potential for Future Collaboration: Successful performance may lead to further contract opportunities with Clay.

• Exposure to Global Clients: Work with a prestigious client roster, including major tech companies and innovative startups.

Working Hours: This is a contract position, so working hours will be project-dependent. It is expected that the candidate will dedicate approximately 40 hours per week to the project, with flexibility to manage their schedule within US time zones to accommodate collaboration with the team and clients.

📝 Enhancement Note: For contract roles, the emphasis is often on the hourly rate and the nature of the work rather than traditional benefits. The "40 hours per week" is an estimate; candidates should clarify expected commitment and potential for overtime or reduced hours based on project phase. The primary "benefit" is the professional experience and the opportunity to expand one's portfolio with high-profile clients.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Design Agency / Digital Product Development / Technology Consulting. Clay operates at the intersection of design, technology, and business strategy, working with clients across various sectors including tech, finance, and e-commerce.

Company Size: Clay is described as having a "distributed team," suggesting a medium-sized, agile organization with a global presence across Europe and the US. This implies a culture that values autonomy, collaboration across distances, and a focus on high-quality output.

Founded: (Information not provided in the raw data). The company's founding date would offer context on its maturity and evolution. However, its client list (Slack, Google, Snapchat, Amazon, Coinbase) indicates a strong track record and established reputation.

Team Structure:

• The UX Researcher will likely be part of a project-based team, working closely with UX/UI Designers, Strategists, Project Managers, and Client-side Product teams.

• Reporting structure will be project-specific, likely reporting to a Design Lead, Project Manager, or a dedicated Research Lead if one exists within the project team.

Methodology:

• Clay emphasizes "strategy, research, and design excellence." This suggests a data-driven and user-centric approach.

• Research findings are expected to be deeply integrated into the design and product strategy phases, ensuring solutions are validated by user needs.

• The agency likely employs agile methodologies to iterate quickly and deliver high-quality digital products.

Company Website: https://clay.com/

📝 Enhancement Note: Clay's focus on "world-class digital products and brands" and its impressive client list suggest a high-performance culture that values expertise, innovation, and client satisfaction. For a UX Researcher, this means being part of a team that respects and utilizes research insights to drive significant product decisions.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This is a mid-level contract role (3+ years experience) focused on execution and analysis within UX research. It offers a strong opportunity to deepen expertise in various research methodologies and contribute to high-impact projects.

Reporting Structure: The researcher will report to project leads (e.g., Design Lead, Project Manager) and collaborate extensively with designers, strategists, and client stakeholders. This provides exposure to different project roles and decision-making processes.

Operations Impact: The UX Researcher's impact is direct and critical. By uncovering user needs and validating design solutions, they ensure that the digital products developed by Clay resonate with target audiences, achieve business objectives, and contribute to the client's market success. This directly influences product adoption, user satisfaction, and ultimately, revenue and brand loyalty.

Growth Opportunities:

• Skill Specialization: Deepen expertise in specific research methods or emerging areas like AI-driven user research.

• Project Diversity: Gain experience across a wide range of industries and product types, broadening the portfolio and marketability.

• Client Exposure: Develop strong client-facing skills and experience presenting to senior stakeholders, which is valuable for future leadership roles.

• Potential for Long-Term Engagements: Successful contract performance can lead to repeat business and more significant, longer-term projects.

• Networking: Build a professional network with designers, strategists, and potential future collaborators within the agency and client organizations.

📝 Enhancement Note: While this is a contract role, the experience gained with high-profile clients and the opportunity to hone advanced research skills offer significant career development. Candidates should view this as a chance to build a robust portfolio and demonstrate their ability to drive product strategy through research, paving the way for more senior or permanent roles in the future.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Fully Remote. This is a remote-first contract position, requiring no physical presence in an office.

Office Location(s): While Clay has a distributed team across Europe and the US, this specific role requires candidates to be based in or available to work within US time zones. This facilitates synchronous collaboration with US-based clients and internal teams.

Workspace Context:

• Remote Collaboration: The workspace is virtual, relying heavily on digital communication and collaboration tools (e.g., Slack, Zoom, Figma, Miro).

• Autonomy and Self-Management: Candidates are expected to manage their own workspace and schedule effectively to meet project demands.

• Cross-functional Interaction: Frequent virtual interactions with designers, strategists, and project managers are integral to the workflow.

Work Schedule: The role is estimated to require approximately 40 hours per week. While flexible within US time zones, candidates must be available for scheduled meetings, workshops, and research sessions, which may sometimes require coordination across different parts of the US.

📝 Enhancement Note: The remote nature requires strong self-discipline, excellent asynchronous and synchronous communication skills, and proficiency with digital collaboration tools. Candidates should highlight their experience in remote work environments and their ability to maintain productivity and engagement without direct physical oversight.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A review of your application and portfolio to assess experience and fit with the role's requirements.

• Hiring Manager/Team Interview: A discussion focusing on your UX research experience, methodologies, approach to problem-solving, and collaboration style. This may include behavioral questions.

• Portfolio Presentation/Case Study: You may be asked to present one or two key UX research projects from your portfolio, detailing your process, insights, and impact.

• Practical Exercise (Potentially): A short take-home assignment or a live exercise to assess your research planning or analysis skills.

• Final Interview: Potentially with a senior member of the team or a client representative to discuss project fit and final alignment.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Strategically: Select 2-3 projects that best showcase your expertise in qualitative and quantitative research, problem-solving, and impact on product design.

• Tell a Story: For each project, clearly articulate the challenge, your role and process, the key insights you uncovered, and the concrete outcomes or recommendations that resulted.

• Highlight Impact: Quantify your impact whenever possible (e.g., "identified usability issues that led to a 15% reduction in task completion time," or "user feedback directly informed the prioritization of X feature, leading to Y outcome"). If direct metrics aren't available, focus on the strategic influence of your findings.

• Showcase Diverse Methods: Demonstrate proficiency across a range of research techniques relevant to the job description.

• Be Prepared to Discuss: Anticipate questions about your decision-making process, how you handle conflicting feedback, and how you adapt your research approach.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the Business Context: Research Clay and its approach to design and strategy. Consider how UX research contributes to the success of a design agency.

• Prepare for Methodological Questions: Be ready to discuss the pros and cons of different research methods and when to apply them.

• Practice Articulating Insights: Focus on clearly and concisely communicating complex findings and their implications for product design and strategy.

• Demonstrate Collaboration: Think about examples of how you've worked effectively with designers, PMs, and stakeholders.

📝 Enhancement Note: The portfolio is the most critical component for this role. Candidates should ensure their portfolio is easily accessible (e.g., a personal website or a well-organized PDF) and that their case studies are structured to highlight problem, process, insights, and impact. Clarity and conciseness in presenting findings are paramount.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Collaboration Platforms: Slack, Microsoft Teams, Zoom (for remote communication and meetings).

• Prototyping & Design Tools: Figma, Sketch, Adobe XD (for reviewing designs, collaborating with designers, and potentially annotating prototypes).

• Whiteboarding & Ideation Tools: Miro, Mural (for remote collaboration, journey mapping, affinity diagramming, and workshop facilitation).

• Survey & Form Tools: SurveyMonkey, Google Forms, Typeform (for creating surveys, questionnaires, and screeners).

• Usability Testing Platforms: UserTesting.com, Lookback, Maze, Hotjar (for conducting remote usability tests and gathering behavioral data).

Analytics & Reporting:

• Data Analysis Tools: Excel, Google Sheets (for basic data analysis and synthesis). Advanced statistical software (e.g., SPSS, R) may be a plus but not explicitly required.

• Presentation Software: PowerPoint, Google Slides, Keynote (for creating and delivering research findings presentations).

CRM & Automation:

• While not a primary focus for this role, familiarity with how CRM data (e.g., Salesforce, HubSpot) can inform user segmentation or how automation tools might be used in user studies could be beneficial.

📝 Enhancement Note: Proficiency with remote collaboration and research tools is essential. Candidates should be prepared to discuss their experience with specific platforms and how they leverage these tools to conduct research and communicate findings effectively in a distributed environment.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• User-Centricity: A deep commitment to understanding and advocating for the user throughout the design and development process.

• Excellence: A focus on delivering high-quality, impactful work that meets and exceeds client expectations.

• Collaboration: A belief in the power of teamwork and cross-functional partnership to achieve the best outcomes.

• Strategic Thinking: An approach that links research insights directly to business objectives and product strategy.

• Adaptability: The ability to pivot research approaches and strategies based on project needs and evolving client requirements.

Collaboration Style:

• Integrated: UX Researchers work closely with designers and strategists, acting as a key partner rather than an isolated function.

• Data-Informed: Decisions are grounded in user data and insights, fostering a culture of evidence-based design.

• Communicative: Open and frequent communication is expected to ensure alignment and timely dissemination of research findings.

• Feedback-Oriented: A willingness to both give and receive constructive feedback to improve processes and outcomes.

📝 Enhancement Note: Clay's emphasis on "design excellence" and "strategy" suggests a culture that values deep thinking and meticulous execution. For a UX Researcher, this means contributing not just data, but strategic recommendations that shape the product's direction.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Balancing Multiple Projects: Managing research across several client projects simultaneously, each with unique requirements and deadlines.

• Navigating Client Expectations: Effectively managing stakeholder expectations and communicating research limitations or unexpected findings.

• Synthesizing Diverse Data: Integrating qualitative and quantitative data from various sources into a cohesive and actionable narrative.

• Remote Collaboration Effectiveness: Ensuring seamless collaboration and communication in a fully remote setting.

• Driving Action from Insights: Ensuring that research findings are not just presented but are actively used to inform design and strategy decisions.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Exposure to High-Caliber Clients: Working with industry leaders provides invaluable experience and insight into best practices in digital product development.

• Methodological Breadth: Opportunity to apply and refine a wide range of UX research techniques on diverse projects.

• Strategic Influence: Developing skills in translating research into strategic recommendations that shape product roadmaps.

• Agency Environment Experience: Gaining insight into the operations and client management aspects of a design agency.

• Contracting Skills: Enhancing skills in project management, client communication, and self-directed work management.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges are typical of contract roles in fast-paced agencies. Candidates should frame these challenges as opportunities to develop resilience, project management prowess, and strategic communication skills.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time when your research findings led to a significant change in product strategy or design. What was the insight, and how did you communicate it?" (Focus on impact and strategic influence)

• "How do you decide which research methodology is most appropriate for a given project? Walk us through your process." (Demonstrate methodological understanding and strategic application)

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you about working for a design agency like Clay, and what excites you about our client roster?" (Show research into Clay and genuine interest)

• "How do you ensure your research findings are understood and acted upon by design and product teams, especially in a remote environment?" (Highlight collaboration and communication skills)

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure Your Case Studies: Follow a clear narrative: Problem/Opportunity -> Your Role & Process -> Key Findings/Insights -> Recommendations/Impact.

• Focus on "Why": Explain the rationale behind your methodological choices and how your insights directly addressed the project's goals.

• Quantify Impact: Use data (even estimated) to show the value of your research. If metrics aren't direct, explain the qualitative improvements or strategic shifts driven by your work.

• Be Concise and Engaging: Practice your presentation to fit within allotted time frames and keep your audience engaged. Use visuals effectively.

• Anticipate Questions: Be ready to dive deeper into any aspect of your projects and discuss alternative approaches you considered.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation should focus on demonstrating not just research execution, but strategic contribution, strong communication, and the ability to thrive in a client-facing, remote agency environment.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Contract UX Researcher position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on Workable.

• Tailor Your Resume: Highlight specific UX research projects, methodologies used, and quantifiable achievements. Ensure keywords from the job description (e.g., qualitative, quantitative, usability testing, stakeholder interviews, journey mapping) are prominent.

• Curate Your Portfolio: Ensure your portfolio is easily accessible, well-organized, and features 2-3 strong case studies that clearly demonstrate your process, insights, and impact on product design.

• Prepare Your Narrative: Be ready to articulate your experience, research philosophy, and why you are a good fit for Clay's client-focused, remote-first environment. Practice presenting your portfolio case studies.

• Research Clay: Understand their approach to design, their client philosophy, and their values to tailor your application and interview responses.

⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and industry-standard assumptions. All details, particularly regarding compensation and specific project scope, should be verified directly with Clay during the interview process.